A fashion institute in Delhi has been barred from offering distance learning degree courses from a state university in Karnataka it is affiliated to. This follows an HT Education report (on June 11, 2014) on state universities violating University Grants Commission (UGC) rules by giving affiliations to institutes outside their states and allowing them to offer distance learning programmes. Kuvempu, a private university based in Karnataka, has written a letter to the JD Institute of Fashion Technology, with a copy marked to UGC, on June 20, 2014, (just a week after HT Education highlighted the violation), which states, “We have the right to inform you that you have to restrict your operations only in Karnataka. Any other centre/s outside Karnataka are to be closed with immediate effect.” A copy of the letter is with HT Education.

UGC had questioned Kuvempu about allowing an institute in Delhi to offer its courses following the HT Education report which had highlighted how private institutes in Delhi were offering distance learning programmes. A UGC notification of June 27, 2013, had barred universities from offering courses outside their state.

After UGC’s intervention, Kuvempu, wrote a letter to the Commision, saying it was not offering any course outside Karnataka to any private institute. Earlier, an official of the JD Institute of Fashion Technology, with centres all over the country, had, when questioned by HT Education, said it had the mandate to offer degree courses from Kuvempu University.

When contacted, M Venkateshawrulu, director, directorate of correspondence courses, Kuvempu University, said, “Any degree course offered by any institute, including the JD Institute of Fashion Technology, after June 27, 2013, is illegal as, according to the UGC notification of June 27, 2013, state universities (both private and government-funded) can offer programmes only within the state. We have issued a letter to JD Institute and asked them to not offer the courses outside Karnataka.” JD Institute, however, can offer its own certificate courses

A UGC source revealed that Kuvempu University had to issue the letter at the behest of UGC as the Commission was upset with the violation. “Some students and their parents met UGC director (administration) Vikram Sahay, who was then director of Distance Education in the Commission and drew his attention to the malpractices in the distance learning programme with the newspaper report,” said the source.

He adds, “Sahay said that he was aware of the issue and had already asked the university to respond. When the students, however, insisted that he expedite the matter, Sahay immediately called the M Venkateshawrulu and asked him to close down all its affiliations with institutes outside Karnataka,” said the source.

However, the JD Institute of Fashion Technology refused to comment on the matter and issued a letter from Kuvempu which said that students were assured of the highest level of technical education at JD Institute of Fashion Technology.

Source: Hindustantimes.com 

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